Falcons Nest - January 25th

James Franklin, Athletic Director
Swimmers qualify for state championship meet. 
Varsity Swimming  
The varsity boys and girls swim teams swam at the Tri-Tac Invitational on Monday against six other schools. The girls won and the boys' team placed second overall. Nearly every swimmer had lifetime-best times or season-best swims. The medley relay of Victoria York, Lauren Hobbs, Micheala Stone, and Jordin Reed won first place and the boys' team of John Shepherd, Andrew Davis, Leo Van Etten, and Sam Schmitz finished second.  
 
Malia Stone placed second in the 200 free and Morgan Lewis placed third. Sam Schmitz placed second in the 200 free. Lauren Hobbs won the 200 IM and Colette Lovsin placed third. Micheala Stone won the 50 free and Jordin Reed placed runner-up.  Andrew Davis placed second in the 50 Free.  Colette Lovsin won the 100 fly and Jordin Reed and John Shepherd took second in the 100 free. Malia Stone won the 500 free and Ava Taylor Walker placed third. Sam Schmitz placed second and Matthias Davis placed third. The relay team of Micheala Stone, Victoria York, Lauren Hobbs and Jordin Reed won the 200 free Relay and the men's team of Andrew Davis, Sam Schmitz, Leo Van Etten and John Shepherd placed second. Victoria York won the 100 back and Micheala Stone was second place. John Shepherd won the 100 back for the boys’ team.  Lauren Hobbs won the 100 Breast and Carson Pusser placed runner-up in the 100 Breast. Malia Stone, Morgan Lewis, Colette Lovsin, and Victoria York won the 400 Free Relay. Aiden Blackwell, Matthias Davis, Carson Pusser, and Leo Van Etten finished second. Both Teams will compete at the State meet on February 12 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. 
 
Middle School Swimming 
The O'Neal Falcons met with The Moore County Home School Aquatics Marlins and Fayetteville Christian School Warriors swim teams last Thursday for the final official meet of the season.  It was a packed pool deck as we recognized our senior swimmers of 2024Our girls team won against FCS but lost against the Marlins while our boys team won against both teams.  After our winter break and being out of the pool for maintenance, it was awesome to see so many personal best times by so many swimmers.  The next few weeks will focus on building strength and speed while maintaining technique. 
 
Personal Best Times: 
50 Free-Julia Gamez, Marley Pace, Madeline Wicks, Sophia Graziano, Dahlia Cloninger, Harper Harless, Katherina Davis, Ava Bozovich, Platon Korobko, Ryan Ulitenok, Adam Storr, and Mason Wicks 
 
100 Free-Heather Anton-Botengan, Marley Pace, Sophia Graziano, Dahlia Cloninger, Harper Harless, Katherina Davis, Platon Korobko, and Mason Wicks 
200 IM- ELla Marino 
 
100 Breaststroke-Julia Gamez, Abigail Holroyd, and Olivia Garcia 
 
Varsity Girls Basketball
 
Fayetteville Christian Final Score 68-20 W 
The Lady Falcons hit the road last Friday and secured a dominant win against Fayetteville Christian. The game's outcome was largely determined by halftime, with O'Neal leading 43-13. The athletes exhibit a strong commitment to continuous improvement, both on and off the court, as they strive to refine their skills and strengthen team cohesion. Their dedicated efforts are evident in their impressive teamwork during each contest, a facet of their play that consistently evolves and enhances with each successive match. 
 
South Wake Final Score 53-30 W 
The O'Neal Falcons secured their 20th victory in a remarkable display on Tuesday, overpowering South Wake. While the Sabres took an early lead, having the Falcons facing an 8-2 deficit early in the first quarter, the Falcons showcased their dominance by accumulating an impressive 43 points in the first half. This secured a comfortable second half for the Falcons and sealed the win.  
 
Varsity Boys Basketball 
 
Falcons vs. Fayetteville Christian Final Score 27-47 L   
The Falcons traveled to Fayetteville on Friday night to take on a tough conference opponent. The Falcons started the game clean, finishing the 1st quarter with zero turnovers and taking an 11-3 lead. The Falcons continued their strong play in the second quarter heading into halftime with a 2pt lead. The Falcons got into foul trouble in the second half which led to Fayetteville Christian shooting more than 15 free-throws in the second half and pulling away with the victory. The Falcons had 7 scorers contribute to the score book. Boyd Kenny(7pts), Brennan Hodges(5pts), Andrew Pavlovich(4pts), Nick Joyce(4pts), Christian Lyles(4pts), Gunnar Adams(2pts), and Max Pashley(1pt).  
  
Falcons vs. South Wake Final Score 23-80 L     
The Falcons went on the road to South Wake on Tuesday night. The Falcons struggled with hitting shots in the first half which led to South Wake taking a strong lead at the half. The Falcons got to the free throw line multiple times but could not convert. The Falcons continued to struggle with turning the ball over which led to South Wake pulling away. The team was able to get some of their nonstarters some valuable playing time. The Falcons were led in scoring by Boyd Kenny (7pts). Nick Joyce(3pts), Jacob Lindsey(5pts), Brennan Hodges(2pts), and Jordan Cole(4pts) each contributed to the scorebook as well.  
 
Middle School A Girls Basketball
Fayetteville Christian Final Score 26-17 W 

The O'Neal School Middle School girls' basketball team faced off against Fayetteville Christian, securing a 26-17 victory. The Falcons exhibited a commendable display of team defense, dominating the first half with agile footwork and active hands in the passing lanes. The players showcased a keen awareness of the game, by sliding in to help track the movement of the ball. On the offensive end, the team displayed notable progress in ball movement, with players adeptly recognizing openings and mastering the timing for well-executed cuts. Maintaining a collective focus, the players consistently kept their eyes up, facilitating the ball to open teammates and making the extra passes. The victory not only highlighted their defensive prowess but also showcased the team's evolving offensive strategies, contributing to their success on the court. 
 
Middle School A Boys Basketball

O’Neal Vs. Fayetteville Academy Final Score: 42-37 L 
The Falcons were on the road against the Fayetteville Academy Eagles in a conference play battleThe Falcons were in their third game of the week and played with intensity. The Falcons showed great plays on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Eagles were a great coached team and brought the intensity as well. They were solid on defense and played great offensively. The Falcons played hard and attempted to stay competitive, but the Eagles ended up pulling away. The Falcons continue to grow each and every day and the coaches are proud of the chemistry that is being built. Leading the bunch in scoring was Ford Kuester (17 Points). Following Kuester were Christian Baker (14 Points), Grant Sewell (3 Points), Sam Taylor (2 Points), and Owen West (2 Points).  

Photos by Wendy Hodges
 
Events Next Week 1/29-2/2:  
 
 
DAY 
DATE 
OPPONENT 
SPORT 
H/A 
EVENT TIME 
SAT 
1/27/2024 
Dance Clinic 
DANCE 
HOME 
9AM-11AM 
MON 
1/29/2024 
Freedom Christian 
MS GBKB 
AWAY 
4:00 PM 
MON 
1/29/2024 
Freedom Christian 
MS BBKB 
AWAY 
5:15 PM 
TUE 
1/30/2024 
Freedom Christian 
GBKB 
HOME 
5:00 PM 
TUE 
1/30/2024 
Freedom Christian 
VBBKB 
HOME 
7:00 PM 
THU 
2/1/2024 
Berean Baptist 
MS GBKB 
HOME 
4:00 PM 
THU 
2/1/2024 
Berean Baptist 
MS BBKB 
HOME 
5:15 PM 
THU 
2/1/2024 
Model UN 
UPPER 
AWAY 
1:00 PM 
FRI 
2/2/2024 
Berean Baptist 
GBKB 
AWAY 
5:30 PM 
FRI 
2/2/2024 
Berean Baptist 
VBBKB 
AWAY 
7:00 PM 
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